(Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, convincing in samurai armour and epic red wig) . . . Karl Böhm -- his final recording -- can be seen on the accompanying documentary giving his beloved Vienna Philharmonic hell to assure the eerie, delicate beauty he got from this score.

Record Review /
Mlke Ashman,
Gramophone (London) / 01. December 2005

The staging is savage and uncompromising, with set design by Josef Svoboda, but it is Böhm's conducting that makes this "Elektra" an unforgettable experience. Here we have Böhm, a friend of Strauss's half a century earlier, now a great old man himself, drawing playing from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra that has a radiance, a richness and a depth of commitment that are overwhelming -- I don't know a more moving recording of this opera. The sound on this DVD is superb, and the bonus disc is a documentary which has fascinating footage of the sessions (Böhm at the Sofiensaal) and the filming (at the Florisdorf studios). Powerful and magnificent.

Record Review /
Nigel Simeone,
International Record Review (London) / 01. January 2006

. . . the emotional cost of Rysanek's breathtaking performance is clear for all to see: she is ungainly, dishevelled, by turns witheringly sarcastic and ferocious in her encounter with Astrid Varnay's terrifying Klytemnestra, heart-rending in the recognition scene with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's noble, avenging Orest. Varnay, herself a famous Elektra, made something of a speciality of Klytemnestra . . . It's good to have a recorded memento of this vintage portrayal . . . Supporting this outstanding cast is the magisterial Böhm and his beloved Vienna Philharmonic, discovering beauties in Strauss's score which elude most interpreters today. Possibly Böhm's "Elektra" is too beautiful for such a violent and blood-soaked production as Friedrich's, but the sounds are as memorable as the images in one of the great, and perhaps unexpected, collaborations between conductor and director preserved on DVD.

Record Review /
Hugh Canning,
Opera (London) / 01. October 2007

Böhm and Friedrich's veteran cast respond wholeheartedly to imaginative direction that takes full advantage of the opportunities provided by a setting beyond the confines of an opera house . . .